Plants – Safe for Birds

My bird likes to eat my houseplants. Should I be worried?

Many birds naturally eat plants as part of their diet. Birds will chew on and possibly consume plants in the course of play and curiosity. Birds left unsupervised out of their cage may easily encounter plants kept around the house and in the garden. It is important for owners to be aware of which plants are safe for birds. Few actual studies are available concerning plant toxicity and birds. Some plants will just make a bird sick and some can kill. (see - Toxic Plants handout). Some of the information pertaining to other species, including humans, must be extrapolated to birds.

Which plants are safe?

The following list of indoor and outdoor plants have been reported as having no adverse affects on animals. Please reference the Toxic Plants handout as well. Remember that any plant eaten in excess may cause harm or gastrointestinal upset. If there is concern regarding specific plants not listed here, or the specific name of a plant, then consult your local Poison Control Center or a reputable plant nursery for more information.

Abelia

Creeping Jenny

KenyavioletKharoub

Queensland arrowroot

Acacia

Creeping mahonia

King nut

Achira

Creeping pilea

King of the forest

Rabbits foot fern

Acorn squash

Creeping rubus

King and queen fern

Rainbow orchid

African Daisy

Creeping zinnia

Kuang-yen- pa-hsieh

Raphiolepsis

African violet

Crepe myrtle

Red african violet

Alfalfa

Crimson bottlebush

Lace flower vine

Red berried greenbrier

Algaroba

Crimson cup

Lace orchid

Red edge peperomia

Aloe (flesh only)

Crisped feather fern

Ladies ear drops

Red hawthorne

Aluminum plant

Crossandra

Lady lou

Red veined prayer

Alumroot

Croton

Lady palm

Reed palm

American rubber

Cucumber

Lagerstroemia indica

Rex begonia

Anthericum comosum

Cushon aloe

Lance Pleumele

Rhynchophorum

Antirrhinummultiflorum

Cushion moss

Larch

Rooseveltfern

Arabian gentian

Cyrtudeira reptans

Large Lady Palm

Rose

Aralia

Laurel-leaved greenbrier

Royal velvet plant

Arbutus

Dahlia

Leather peperomia

Rubber plant, baby

Areca, Butterfly Cane

Dainty

Leng-fen tu'an

Russian olive

Aregelia

Dainty rabbits-foot fern

Lemon Balm

Artillery plant

Dallasfern

Leopard orchid

Saffron spike zebra

Ash

Dancing doll orchid

Lesser snapdragon

Sand verbena

Aspen

Dandelion

Lilac

Satin pellionia

Aspidium falcatum

Date

Linden

Sawbrier

Aspidastra

Davallia bullata mariessi

Lipstick plant

Scabious

Aubepine

Davallia

Little zebra plant

Scarlet orchid

Autumn olive

Daylily richomanoides

Little fantasy peperomia

Scarlet sage

Desert trumpet

Living rock cactus

Schefflera

Baby’s tears

Dichelostemma

Living stones

Sensative Plant

Bachelors buttons

Dichorisandra reginae

Locust pods

Shagbark hickory

Ball fern

Dill

Lou-lang-t'ou

Shan ku'ei-lai

Bamboo

Dinteranthus vanzylii

Luther

Shellbark hickory

Bamboo palm

Dogwood

Shiny leaf smilax

Bamboo vine

Donkey tail

Madagascarjasmine

Shrimp cactus

Banana

Dracaena

Magnolia bush

Silver bell

Banana squash

Dragon Tree

Marigold

Silver berry

Barberry

Duffy fern

Maidenhair Fern

Silver heart

Beech

Dwarf date palm

Mahonia aquifolium

Silver-leaf peperomia

Begonia species

Dwarf feather fern

Malabar gourd

Silver nerve plant

Belmore sentry palm

Dwarf palm

Malaysian dracaema

Silver pink vine

Big shellbark hickory

Dwarf Rose-Stripe Star

Manila palm

Silver star

Birch

Dwarf royal palm

Manzanita

Silver table fern

Bird’s Nest Fern

Dwarf whitman fern

Mapleleaf begonia

Silver tree anamiga

Bitter pecan

Earth star

Maranta

Slender deutzia

Bitternut

Easter cattleya

Marbled fingernail

Small fruited hickory

Black haw

Easter daisy

Maroon

Smilax tamnoides vas

Black hawthorn

Easter lily cactus

May Apple

Spearmint

Blaspheme vine

Easter orchid

Mary-bud

Spice orchid

Blood Leaf

Echeveria

Measles plant

Spider ivy

Blooming sally

Edible banana

Melons

Spider plant

Bluebottle

Elephant-Ear Begonia

Metallic peperomia

Spotted laurel

Blue bead

Elephant foot tree

Metallic leaf begonia

Spruce

Blue daisy

Elk’s Horn

Mexican firecracker

Squarenut

Blue echeveria

Elm

Mexican rosettes

Squirrels foot fern

Blue-dicks

Emerald ripple peperomia

Mexican snowballs

Staghorn, Elk’s Horn

Blue-eyed daisy

English hawthorn

Miniature date palm

Star jasmine

Blunt leaf peperomia

Epidendrum

Minature fish tail

Star plant

Blushing bromeliad

Episcia spp.

Minature maranta

Star tulip

Bold sword fern

Eucalyptus

Minature marble plant

Star window plant

Boston fern

Eugenia

Mistletoe cactus

Strawberry

Bottlebrush

Euopean fan

Mockernut hickory

String of Beads

Bottle Palm

Monkey Plant

Striped blushing

Bougainvillea

False aralia

Mosaic plant

Sugar pods

Brazilian orchid

Fairy fountain

Moses-in-the-cradle

Sulfur flower

Bride's bonnet

Fan tufted palm

Mosiac vase

Summer hyacinth

Bristly greenbrier

Feather fern

Moss agate

Swedish ivy

Bromeliads

Feathered amaranth

Moss campion

Sweetheart hoya

Broom hickory

Fiery reed orchid

Moss fern

Sweetheart peperomia

Brodiaea pulchella

Fig leaf gourd

Moss phlox

Sweet william

Butterfly ginger

Figleaf palm

Moss rose

Sword fern

Butterfly iris

Fingernail plant

Mossy campion

Bullbrier

Fir

Mother-In-Law’s Tongue

Tahitian bridal veil

Bur gourd

Fire weed

Mother fern

Tailed orchid

Burro's tail

Fish tail fern

Mother spleenwort

Tall feather fern

Buttercup squash

Flame african violet

Mother of pearl

Tall mahonia

Butterfly Cane

Flame of the woods

Mountain camellia

Teasel gourd

Butterfly squash

Flame violet

Mountain grape

Texassage

Floridabutter-fly orchid

Mulberry bush greenbrier

Thea japonica

Caeroba

Forster sentry palm

Mulberry tree

Thimble cactus

Calamint

Fortunes palm

Musa paradisiaca

Thistle

Calathea insignis

Freckle face

Muscari armeniacum

Thorn apple

Calendula(Pot Marigold)

Friendship plant

Muscari spp.

Ti Plant

Calthea lancifolia

Frosty

Muskmellon

Ti hu-ling

Californiapitcher plant

Tiger orchid

CaliforniaHolly

Garden marigold

Nadina

Toad spotted cactus

Callistemon radyandrus

Garden snapdragon

Narrow leafed pleomele

Tous-les-mois

Callistemon viminalis

Gardenia

Nasturtium

Trailing peperomia

Callistemon citrinus

Garlic

Natal plum

Tree cactus

Calochortus nuttalli

German violet

Neanthe bella palm

Tree gloxinia

Camellia

Gherkins

Nematanthus spp.

Tropical moss

Chamonile

Ghost leafless orchid

Neanthebella

True cantalope

Canadahemlock

Ghost plant

Neoregelia

Tu fu-ling

Canary date palm

Giant aster

Nephrolepsis

Tulip poplar

Candle plant

Giant holly fern

Nerve plantNew silver and bronze

Tulip tree

Candycorn plant

Giant white inch plant

Night blooming cereus

Turban squash

Cantebury-bell

Gibasis geniculata

Cape jasmine

Globe thistle

Odontoglossum spp.

Umbrella plant

Cape primrose

Gloxinia

Old man cactus

Urbinia agavoides

Carob

Gold bloom

Old world orchid

Usambara violet

Carob tree

Gold Dust Dracaena

Orange star

Caroba

Gold-fish plant

Oregon grape

Variegated laurel

Carobinha

Golden bells

Ossifragi vase

Variegated oval leaf peperomia

Carolinahemlock

Golden lace orchid

Variegated philodendron leaf

Carrion flower

Golden shower orchid

Paddy’s wig

Variegated wandering ew

Carrot flower

Good luck palm

Painted lady

Variegated wax plant

Carrot fern

Grape hyacinth

Pampus grass

Velvet plant

Casaba melon

Grape Ivy

Panamiga

Venus fly trap

Cast Iron plant

Grape Vine

Pansy orchid

Veronafern

Cat brier

Great willow herb

Paradisepalm

Veronalace fern

Cat ear

Green ripple peperomia

Parlor palm

Vining peperomia

Cattleya labiata

Greenbrier

Parlor plant

Violet

Celosia globosa

Parsley

Violet slipper gloxinia

Celosia plumosa

Hagbrier

Passion Flower

Celosia spicata

Hardy baby tears

Parsley fern

Waffle plant

Chamaedorean

Hardy gloxinia

Peace begonia

Walking anthericum

Chaparral

Haws

Peacock plant

Wandering Jew

Chenille plant

Haws apple

Pearl plant

Washingtonhawthorn

Chestnut

Haworthia

Pearly dots

Water hickory

Chicken-gizzard

Hawthorn

Peperomia hederifolia

Watermelon begonia

Chickens and hens

Hedgehog gourd

Peperomia peltifolia

Watermelon peperomia

Chickweed

Hellfetter

Peperomia rotundifolia

Watermelon pilea

Chicory

Hemlock tree

Peperomia sandersii

Wax plant

Chin-lao-shu

Hen and chickens fern

Pepper face

Wax rosette

China aster

Hens and chickens

Peppermint

Weeping bottlebrush

Chinaroot

Hibiscus

Peperomia

Weeping sergeant hemlock

Chinese plumbago

Hickory

Persian violet

Weisdornbluten

Chlorophytum

Hindu rope plant

Petunia

West indian gherkin

Chlorophytum bechetii

Holligold

Pheasant plant

Western sword

Chocolate soldier

Holly fern

Piggy back plant

White Clover

Christmas dagger

Hollyhock

Pigmy date palm

White ginger

Christmas palm

Honey locust

Pignut

White edged swedish ivy

Christmas orchid

Honey plant

Pignut hickory

White heart hickory

Cinnamon

Honeydew melons

Pilea microphylla

Whitman fern

Cinquefoil

Honeysuckle fuchsia

Pilea mucosa

Wild buckwheat

Cirrhopetalum

Hookera pulchella

Pink Brocade

Wild hyacinth

Cissus Kangaroo Vines

Horse brier

Pink Pearl

Wild lantana

Claw Cactus

Hoya

Pink polka dot plant

Wild sarsaparilla

Clearweed

Hubbard squash

Pink starlite

Wild strawberry

Cliff brake

Hypocyrta spp.

Pirliteiro

Willow

Cocks comb

Pitaya

Willow herb

Cocktail orchid

Ice plant

Pittosporum

Windmill palm

Coleus

Imbricata sword fern

Plantanus orientalis

Winter cattleya

Collinia elegans

Impatiens

Plantanus occidentalis

Withered snapdragon

Color-band

Indian Hawthorn

Platinum peperomia

Woolflower

Columnar

Irish moss

Platycerium alicicorne

Comfry

Iron cross begonia

Plumbago larpentiae

Yellow bloodleaf

Common camellia

Iron tree

Plush plant

Yellow-flowered gourd

Common catbrier

Ivy peperomia

Polka dot plant

Yerba Linda

Common garden canna

Ivy-leaf peperomia

Polystichum falcatum

Yucca

Common greenbrier

Jacksonbrier

Pony tail Palm

Common snapdragon

Jacob's ladder

Poplar

Zebra haworthia

Common staghorn fern

Jade Plant

Porcelain flower

Zebra plant

Confederate jasmine

Japanese aralia

Pot marigold

Zinnia sp.

Coolwort

Japanese holly fern

Prairie snowball

Zucchini squash

Copperlead

Japanese moss

Prayer plant

Copper rose

Japanese pittosporum

Prickly bottlebrush

Coralardisia

Jasmine

Prostrate coleus

Coral bells

Jewel orchid

Purple baby tears

Coralberry

Joseph's coat

Purple passion vine

Cornflower

Jungle geranium

Purple Velvet

Cottonwood

Purple waffle plant

Crab Apple

Kaempferis

Purpleosier willow

Crape myrtle

Kahali ginger

Pyracanthus

Crataegus phaenopyrum

Kalanchoe

Crataegus spp.

Kenilworth ivy

Queen's spiderwort

Creeping charlie

Kentia palm

Queencup

Creeping gloxinia

Kenyapalm

Queensspiderwort

Safe Trees for Perches

Citrus (all)

Grape vines

Hawthorn

Pear

Almond

Guava

Larch

Pine (not with stick sap)

Apple

Cactus Wood

Magnolia

Plum

Apricot

Cottonwood

Madrona

Poplar

Arbutus

Crab Apple

Mansanita

Prune

Ash

Dogwood

Mulberry

Thurlow

Beech

Elm

Papaya

Vine Maple

Birch

Fir

Peach

Willow

This client information sheet is based on material written by: Rick Axelson, DVM